| [ Summary ] |
Blood flow rate is one of the key factors which determines the performance and efficacy of hemodialysis treatment. Therefore, it is important to be able to easily measure actual blood flow rates during the treatment. The suction of blood in extracorporeal circuits, with roller-type blood pumps, generates pulses of negative pressure. Although a collapse of the pillow in blood tubing, due to the excessive suction, may be visually observed, quantitative data is never obtained. Methods of measuring actual blood flow rates, based on pulse amplitude of inner pressure in the extracorporeal blood tubing, have been demonstrated to be easy and practical means for continuous monitoring, which do not need any special equipment or procedures. |